2022, here we go again!

[lithuanian farmer]

Nice looking cattle. Do you ever second guess whether to tag a calf or not on the cows with horns? I have culled my more aggressive cows out but even with that I think I would second guess myself if I had horns on any.

All calves have to be tagged and registered here on the first 7 days after birth. Horns not an issue here. Actually, polled cows tend to have more character than those with horns most if the time. At least here.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Some pics of older calves before the new ones arrive.





So far 4 bulls, 9 heifers.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

New heifer born today. Sired by previous limousine bull, out of limxcharx, 287 days gestation, easily 110lbs, could be even 120lbs. Cow calved herself. She's actually a dam of first calved white charx heifer. That's her 5th calf- all heifers so far. The only problem with her limx cross heifers is that they are pretty wild.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Another heifer today AI bred. Sired by VRB bull (the same as black heifer's), 286days gestation, dam is limxangusx. Simmental cross first calver is from the same cow.
Not particulary big calf, in 90-100lbs range.


Have one cow on 287th day, one on 281st day and one heifer on 283rd day gestation.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Another heifer born yesterday... 289days gestation, limousine sired, around 70lbs.

And almost three weeks old vrbx heifer. Going to be a very lovely girl!

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Aaaaannndd.... Another heifer born today... Not sure what to think at this point already. Either it's just heifers year, or my AI technique or AI time brought me alot of heifers.
This time blondex heifer from limx cow, 285 days gestation. Last year she had a blonde bull calf of the same colour, so tried to get the same coloured heifer this year.

 

[wbvs58]

Yeh, I often wonder whether I have any affect with the sexes with my timing etc. Last year I had 2/3rds heifers but we had very favourable conditions with rain and I have been told that heifers will predominate in favourable years especially coming out drought.

Ken

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Yeh, I often wonder whether I have any affect with the sexes with my timing etc. Last year I had 2/3rds heifers but we had very favourable conditions with rain and I have been told that heifers will predominate in favourable years especially coming out drought.

Ken

We actually had quite extreme heats last year for good 1,5 months. It was pretty hard to get some individuals incalf, plus always wonderred if it was a good decission to AI at certain times as it was very very hot.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

"Supposedly"---- breeding early in the cycle produces more heifers, but lower conception. Breeding later, bulls, but higher conception.
Flush researcher told me this is based on the fact that heifer sperm is fatter and slower than the sleek fast male sperm. Males get there first but the egg has not been released. The females get there and are still viable when the egg becomes available for fertilization.
Also, I've heard that the PH in the uterus can be favorable for heifer or bull sperm. I've heard of people putting vinegar in the water, but don't know if that was to improve males or females.

 

[J Hoy]

Yeh, I often wonder whether I have any affect with the sexes with my timing etc. Last year I had 2/3rds heifers but we had very favourable conditions with rain and I have been told that heifers will predominate in favourable years especially coming out drought.

Ken

Interesting. The white-tailed deer in our area had 2/3rds females each year from 2014 through 2018. No one has gotten sex ratios since then so don't know what the ratios were since then. For 15 years prior to 2014, the sex ratio was from somewhat skewed in favor of males to highly skewed in favor of males, with 2/3rds of the fawns being males between 1995 and 2001.

It is also interesting that ranchers in Lithuania and Australia are having similar high female to male sex ratios. In humans, it was found that "there was significant higher rate of male fetuses who were conceived by mothers with alkaline vaginal pH and also there was significant higher rate of female fetuses who were conceived by mothers with acidic vaginal pH." I don't know if there are studies that show that to be true with female ruminants.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

"Supposedly"---- breeding early in the cycle produces more heifers, but lower conception. Breeding later, bulls, but higher conception.
Flush researcher told me this is based on the fact that heifer sperm is fatter and slower than the sleek fast male sperm. Males get there first but the egg has not been released. The females get there and are still viable when the egg becomes available for fertilization.
Also, I've heard that the PH in the uterus can be favorable for heifer or bull sperm. I've heard of people putting vinegar in the water, but don't know if that was to improve males or females.

I did heard the same about the early AI time being more favorable for heifers. I tried to remember did I really AI'ed earlier than before. Maybe there werw a couple occasions, but still using am-pm rule. Who knows, maybe just a heifer year. At the moment 75% are heifers.
I got heifers from two cows, which never had heifers before and a heifer from one older cow, which had heifer only once
Do know that ph can be an issue for conception, but never heard about it's influence towards the genger of the calf.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Yesterday's newborn. Heifer as always Sired by a stock bull thought.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Can't make a good pic of this heifer. She always comes running at me for some scratch.


9 days old blondex heifer. She was kinda slow to nurse. Couldn't find mom's teats at first, so had to show all for her. She only tried to nurse one, which isn't working. But now she is happily nursing all other quarters and is putting on weight fast. Plus, she isn't afraid of people and likes some attention too.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Story time...

Cows attacked the beaver, which was walking in threir pen. A couple cows got some small injuries from the bites, but the beaver died quickly. While walking out of the pasture, after all that commotion caused by a beaver, saw a cow lying on her side in the field. She was feeling well before all those events. Saw her kick a bit, then stand up, kick again and lie down on her side again. Walked to check her. Well, that was what I saw...

Ruptured peritoneum. Photo taken at 8am. She was heavily incalf, due date after 21 days. Decided to perform a c-section for a calf and try to fix peritoneum for a cow. Started the operation at around 10am.


Finished the whole procedure at around 4pm. The calf is alive, but sleeping all the time. Very good size for such a young calf. Already could give her 80-85lbs.
Cow had most of her intestines out. She has alot of fluid now in the cavity, which was left by the intestines, but she is walking abit and eating. She does look very sore and that's understandable.
Now it's a battle for the life of the calf and for the life of the cow...

 

[branxchar&charx]

Story time...
View attachment 16214
Cows attacked the beaver, which was walking in threir pen. A couple cows got some small injuries from the bites, but the beaver died quickly. While walking out of the pasture, after all that commotion caused by a beaver, saw a cow lying on her side in the field. She was feeling well before all those events. Saw her kick a bit, then stand up, kick again and lie down on her side again. Walked to check her. Well, that was what I saw... View attachment 16215
View attachment 16216
Ruptured peritoneum. Photo taken at 8am. She was heavily incalf, due date after 21 days. Decided to perform a c-section for a calf and try to fix peritoneum for a cow. Started the operation at around 10am.
View attachment 16219
View attachment 16220
Finished the whole procedure at around 4pm. The calf is alive, but sleeping all the time. Very good size for such a young calf. Already could give her 80-85lbs.
Cow had most of her intestines out. She has alot of fluid now in the cavity, which was left by the intestines, but she is walking abit and eating. She does look very sore and that's understandable.
Now it's a battle for the life of the calf and for the life of the cow...

Hope both are doing better now

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Hope both are doing better now

Unfortunatelly, lost both. Calf didn't diggest milk and lungs were bad looking at the PM. Cow had a whole lump of intestines twisted inside... A huge loss, but have to move forward now. Hopefully will breed another nice heifer from her dam. Luckily she's still in production, 7years old.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Got a new bull calf born a couple days ago, sired by the previous herd bull. Only one left to calve from him.
And here is today's newborn. Bull calf again, thankfully. A very big calf, should be around 130lbs at least. Going to weigh him abit later. 290 days gestation, piedmontesex.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Here are new photos of yesterday's big calf. 141lbs. Half weaned already

 

[J Hoy]

I did heard the same about the early AI time being more favorable for heifers. I tried to remember did I really AI'ed earlier than before. Maybe there werw a couple occasions, but still using am-pm rule. Who knows, maybe just a heifer year. At the moment 75% are heifers.
I got heifers from two cows, which never had heifers before and a heifer from one older cow, which had heifer only once
Do know that ph can be an issue for conception, but never heard about it's influence towards the genger of the calf.

A more alkaline level in the reproductive tract of the female at the time of breeding has been shown to favor producing males, since the more alkaline levels kill the X sperm. If the female has low calcium and magnesium mineral levels, she will have a more alkaline level in her body fluids, and produce male young. Causing the cervical mucus to be more acidic often kills the Y sperm, producing more females. So having higher calcium and magnesium levels in the cows during breeding season should produce more females. Of course, there are other issues that also affect the PH levels in cows.

 

[Lazy M]

Here are new photos of yesterday's big calf. 141lbs. Half weaned already
View attachment 16469
View attachment 16470

That cow deserves a half bucket of grain!